Tag Archives: Disaster Mitigation

The Obama Administration and the U.S. Global Change Research Program release the Third National Climate Assessment, the most comprehensive, authoritative, transparent scientific report on U.S. climate change impacts ever generated.

The report confirms the growing impact of climate change on communities across the country, the economy, and our society. The report further suggests the need to increase the preparednessand resilience of American communities.

Millions of Americans find themselves overwhelmed by the daunting task of rebuilding their lives and livelihoods, families and communities in the aftermath of the deadliest and most devastating natural and technological disasters in U.S. history.

From Hurricanes Katrina, Isaac, and Sandy, to the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster and the super tornadoes that struck Joplin, Tuscaloosa, and Moore, to the floods, fires, and torrential rainstorms in Colorado, the compounded effect of these disasters have left a complex landscape of environmental, economic, and social challenges that will take decades to resolve.

Told from the shared viewpoints of a single mother of six, a mayor, a medical doctor, a minister, a musician, and a master carpenter, Storm Surge offers a sobering glimpse into the day-to-day struggles and sacrifices these individuals must make to overcome the impact of disasters, but to also keep roofs over their heads, food on the table, their sanity, and families together, all while navigating a tempest of bureaucratic red tape and corporate corruption that prevents them realizing of full recovery.

All to often, post-disaster recovery efforts focus on rebuilding the physical infrastructure of roads, bridges, housing, and commercial businesses. Absent from these conversations is the critical and cathartic importance of rebuilding communities using the power of personal storytelling and social impact media to promote resiliency and reduce the post-disaster recovery period.

Storm Surge celebrates humanity at its very best, amid some of the worst circumstances imaginable, and reminds us that we are both students and teachers of life, and that stories can help us find meaning and make sense of our lives.